This invention relates to resin regeneration systems and, more particularly, to a continuous resin regeneration system in which resin is cycled out of multiple filtration columns simultaneously and continuously at predetermined and corresponding rates and returned systematically to the filtration system.
Resins are used to draw charged particles out of waste water in various applications (water is considered a byproduct in many industrial settings). Water is passed over resins which draw out the particles and the particles are then recovered from the resins in filtration processes. Although such systems are presumably effective for recycling or recharging resins, the resins in the past have been used in “batches” as the resins have a regeneration cycle and must be replaced with new resin (and the used resin can be removed offsite to be “cleaned).” The problem is, then, the down time while changing the resin.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a resin regeneration system in which resin in need of being recharged is cycled out of a filtration “column” (like a hopper) as new “clean” resin is flowed in. Further, it would be desirable to have a resin regeneration system in which downstream additional columns also undergo this cycling but at slower and related rates as the first column with the dirtiest water will naturally use up resin faster than the downstream columns.
The first novelty of the present invention is the continuous flow and regeneration of resin (rather than batch processing which has repeated downtime for replacement). The secondary novelty is the variable rates by which multiple columns can detect the flow rate by which degenerative resin needs to flow out and be replaced with fully charged resin.